Run take 2

Tried to run at the trail yesterday. but either because of the wind from Irene or the recent rains the trail was a mess. There were groves in the dirt and twigs everywhere. Really couldn't focus on running. Was worried about dodging stuff so I wouldn't hurt myself. There were some deep grooves in the trail. So after about a 1/4 mile I turned back,  opted to go to the gym instead.

 I need to get back into my gym routine. The last few weeks have been rough. I have to be ready for my 5k. It will be my 2nd, 5k but the first time my family will be there. So I gotta "represent."  After the run cousin and I are going to my brothers for Thanksgiving dinner. It will be nice. My mom and dad, my brother and his kids, my little sister, my aunt and cousin. . I miss them but I don't think I can live there anymore. I like Connecticut far too much but  I know that if things changed at work and Texas was a required I would do it. Pick up and move. Just because I like CT doesn't mean I get a choice in the matter. (The reason I am talking about this is work is laying off people. 10 this week and another 30k+ expected. yes, that is THIRTY THOUSAND people. Please note this is what is being reported in local news outlets. Nothing has been confirmed by my employer.  I have no idea what I would do if I get laid off. I have a few back up plans I am working on.).

My goal is to be able to run the whole 5k. No matter how slow I go, I want to keep running. Haven't decided which race we are doing. But I want my family to support us and cheer us on during the run. And it will be nice to have a holiday meal with my family. It's been far too long. The last few years I have been a holiday orphan, going to 1 friends or another. I am glad I have great friends but I have definitely been missing my family lately. 

(www.nataliedee.com)

Pile on the Miles

I will be going to visit my family for Thanksgiving. I will be running a 5k with my baby cousin. So I need to start training again. I think I am going to long the amount of miles I run between now and then. I saw on another blog* about "Pile on the Miles". In that case it was a contest. This will be for my own record. Let's see how many miles I log running and how many on the elliptical. I think I will start today and end October 10th. As the last 2 weeks has thrown me off my routine this will be a good way to help me get back into it. I think I will try to log them weekly here.

Went to the Hebron Harvest Fair last night. Sat in traffic for over an hour to get there but I got to see the Demolition derby. So much fun. It was a first for me. I didn't think I would like how the cars crashed into each other but it was awesome. One car caught on fire and the car kept going. I honestly think it would be there til the end. The last 2 cars took awhile to take each other out. In the end the 2nd place car looked like a Smart Car

I remember a time when all I drank was Diet Coke. Ahh.. High School. Don't miss that. But miss my ignorance on how bad even diet soda can be.

(http://www.nataliedee.com/)

Working this morning then either running with my friend L at the  high school or hitting Air Line Trail on my way home from work.



*I can't remember the name of the blog, if you know please let me know so I can credit appropriately

Mamma Chia

A while ago Monica @ Run Eat Repeat posted about Mamma Chia.  I found out that  the local Whole Foods had it. While it ison my way home, I usually only go when I need something specific. Going to try out a drink isn't specific enough. I have been adding Chia seeds to my salads lately. so I definitely wanted to try it. Today I am in the mood to bake so I needed to pick up some coconut oil and a few other things for healthy baking. (yes it's possible). I had to look all over the store to find it. I think they had 10 sections of cold beverages. It took awhile to find. I really only noticed the Cherry Lime.

I think I liked it:

It was a little weird texture wise. The chia seeds get gelatinized if in liquid too long but it was really good. I have had chia chocolate pudding and that is pretty good. I think I may make some for dessert tonight.

I definitely deserve to pig out a bit tonight. Work announced layoffs. I am off today but 10 people were affected in my immediate area. Not good. I am sure I will hear more in the morning.

Back to spin class tonight, last week gym was closed so no spin and the week before the teacher was on vacation. So it's been a few weeks. Really need to get back into the swing of things.

I really need to start running again, it's been a rough few weeks. Morning runs ended, Irene, no water and no power. My cousin and I are doing a 5k on Thanksgiving Day. I will be doing a 5k in a different state. Go me! And since my cousin and are I doing it the whole family has to show up. Kind of excited for that. I have done a lot of changes in the last year and since my family lives in Texas they don't get to see this. I can also get some real Mexican food. Not this crap availble in the Northeast. My mom's cooking is amazing and there is a lady who works for my brother that makes amazing tortillas and tamales.

No Power No Water That is a problem!

Hurricane Irene hit on Sunday. I lost power early Sunday morning and it still hasn't come back. Today is Wednesday. Since I have a well and not city water I also don't have water. I am staying at a friends with my dog because I need to shower I am such a city girl it isn't funny. I am going back to my place today after work to check on the cat. I keep hearing different estimates of when I might get power back. The gym down the street is 2-7 days. This is not a good sign.

I did go for a run in my friends neighborhood last night. I don't know all the side streets so I did a loop that was .89 miles. Since it wasn't that far I decided to do another loop. This time her 13 yr daughter and the girls across the street decided to join me. Then my friend decided to walk her dog on the same loop. Fun night of excercise. I think the girls may join me running while I am there. I really want my power back. I miss place and my cat. The dog is with me since my dog and my friend's son are BFF's. It's pretty darn cute.

I never realized how much I took running water for granted.

Addict!

Rough couple of days. Saturday I did a so-so run with my failing sneakers. Nothing on Sunday. Got new shoes on Monday, no gym. Tuesday morning I woke up to run with my new sneakers. Well, it's getting darker and darker in the mornings. My neighbor couldn't run she did something to her back so I was on my own. Too Dark for a real run. So I went to work early. Which wasn't a great idea because it turned into a 12 hr day and I didn't have enough snacks. Finally went to gym tonight, got there too late for spin class. It had started when I got there and I didn't want to interrupt since it takes me so long to set up. So I ran a bit in my new sneakers

(I live in a rural area, no street lights. It was scary dark. I think it's the end of morning runs, at least for now. Want to check with my neighbor first.)

Worked a 12 hr day yesterday, stopped by Taco Bell on the way home. I got some stuff off the Fresco Menu. First of all, the food was good. I really enjoyed it. This morning I checked the nutrition info. Not nearly as much as I thought. Very reasonable nutrition wise and more satisfying than a burger. As much as I don't like fast food I will definitely do this again as back up when I am running late.

Just talked to neighbor, we are going to give mornings 1 more try. Her hubby got a reflective wrist thing and I have a flashing light that attaches to clothes that I got from the 5k in July. Maybe we will stay on our street vs going to the main road. If it's dark it won't be so bad on a not busy road.

I was planning to go back to Dallas for Thanksgiving. My cousin has started running and getting fit. She and I are going to do a 5k on Thanksgiving if I go. I can't wait. Kind of excited for my family to see how much better I am now.

I live on a road with a lake. This is half my from my house. I love where I live!
This is a picture from the causeway that is my road. This was about 6:45 this morning.

Shoes!

Went to Fleet Feet Sports after work and got real running shoes. My sorry $20 generic shoes were good to get me started but they aren't any good anymore. The woman who helped me was super nice had me try on several pairs. Got to run on the treadmill where she watched my foot placement as I run.

It was tax free week here and I had a $10 off coupon. So only $90! I picked up some moisture wicking socks. That should help prevent blisters etc. I am really looking forward to my morning run tomorrow. I did some price searching. Same cost as I would get online and I can support a local business. I feel good about my purchase! Even though its the most money I have ever spent on 1 pair of shoes!

Photo

this is me before my run Saturday. It's a reminder of where I am today. Some day soon I am going to be very grateful I began this journey. I just want a reminder. Disregard my messy house in the background.

Saturday Afternoon

blah.. Not a great run again. I wore a running skirt and went earlier in the day. This helped but I really need new shoes. The foot pain was there and the fun of wearing shorts while running. You know what I am talking about. I know the more I run the easier it will be and the more I run I will get used to it but it hurt like hell. Walking hurt. It helped when I picked up my pace but I couldn't maintain that. But it felt really good to be running that fast. (fast for me anyway)I read online that gold bond would help. It didn't. I used that before I left. Next time I will try deodorant` I guess. Or maybe just spend the money for Body Glide

2.09 miles in 36.18 minutes which means a 17.31 pace. Again pretty crappy run. Hoping when I get my new sneaks it will be easier.

I got home and spent some time in my garden pulling all the weeds out. The basil is doing really well. If anyone actually reads this and lives local, and you want some basil, let me know.

Need to put up laundry I did while I was running. Then relax before Shag Frenzy

Meal #2

Woke up and weighed in with the Wii Fit. Spent about 30 minutes doing exercises then had breakfast. Kashi Go Lean and coconut milk. It's been an hour and half and I am still hungry so I made an egg with some leftover potatoes with some Trader Joe's Avocado Salsa Verde. Sometimes a meal just doesn't hit the spot. If after an hour plus you are still hungry I think its okay if you make something else just don't let it be junk food.

I got the idea for this from Huevos Rancheros Recipe with Zucchini Salsa Verde – a Light Summer Meatless Monday 20 Minute Meal I realize it's no where near a match but a fried egg, potatoes and salsa. Very tasty. Hoping to be ready for my run at 12 ish

I guess I could call this 2nd breakfast or an early lunch. Or just meal #2. I believe you should eat when you are hungry. The trick is to know if you are hungry vs. bored.

Bad Run

Bad Run today. I had a shooting pain in my left food. After about a half mile I couldn't take it anymore. So I sat down on the side of the road, took my shoe off and rubbed my foot hoping the pain would go away. It did. But I decided to turn back. The last thing I need is an injury. I am keeping up momentum right now and I am very proud of myself for that.

I have decided to spend the money on a pair of shoes from to Fleet Feet Sports. Apparently I have good timing because tax free week starts sunday so I can go after church.
ooohhh. .I signed up for the email newsletter and got a coupon for $10. Very nice! Definitely shopping this weekend.

Definitely need to hit the gym tonight. Didn't go to spin last night, running late from work and it was the Town Car Show. And now with no run. Gym is very much needed.

I guess I should get back to work.. Some days it's very hard to focus. :)

I may run slow, but I keep running

I hadn't planned on running today because of the rain. But my body woke me up at 5 am and it wasn't raining so, I got my ass out of bed. My neighbor wasn't up for it this morning but I did it. I improved my time by almost a minute. Which is good, not only am I running a mile straight but I am improving pace. (it does't always feel that way). I even ran a little more on the way back. (it's all slighly uphill and hard to run)

Before you know it I will be running a 5k straight. My goal for the Red Dress Run for Women 2012 is to improve my time so I am in the mid 30's range. I finished just under 50 minutes. I think it's realistic that in a year I go from a 15 min-ish mile to a 12 min-ish mile. We shall see what happens in the next year.

and the day goes on

Did great on the run this morning. Very proud of myself. Now, Just to repeat it Thursday morning!

Tomorrow is my early day at work. I go in at 7:30 and leave at 4 for my spin class. I am already tired and wish it wasn't too early for bed. But I know if I go to sleep now I will be up in the middle of the night. Since tomorrow is an early and work should be interesting I need to get my rest.

Work, well, it was "very" interesting today. I am sore tomorrow will be even more so.

1 mile

Ran a mile straight this morning without stopping. I can't remember the last time I did that. So proud of myself. Now, the hard part, to keep doing it. My run tracking program keeps stopping. So my official time/pace is 2.17 miles 34:09 run time is a 15.74 pace. For me to run a mile straight is a HUGE deal. I don't think you realize how big I am. Let's say I could lose a 100lbs and still be told I am overweight :( That's okay because I am working on it.

Run and other stuff

I did not feel like running today. I am having an allergic reaction around my mouth and something is up with my eyes. They are watering like crazy. But I did it! Went to airline trail and ran 3.16 miles in about 51 minutes. So time is an estimate, the mileage is correct because I remember checking the program and turning around at 1.58 miles. I wanted to see what a 5k time would be like. I must have hit something so my tracker stopped at 2.95 miles But I ran. Lately for me it isn't so much about my pace as it is about me getting off my ass and doing something. I have a lot of weight to lose and right now it's all about the little steps. I almost forgot to mention the bug that flew into my eye and the bug I swalloed while running. The bug was on the way back, it's a good thing too. I think that would have caused me to turn back early.

Now eating a turkey burger. Don't worry I checked to make sure it wasn't recalled. That is what prompted me to pull it out of the freezer for lunch and make it for lunch.

I stopped at CVS after the run and got Benedryl. Hoping this helps.

Dear Friday, Thanks for coming back! Is it 5 yet?

This week is kicking my ass. Just really tired. Looking forward to the end of the day.

Ran to Target after work last night. The one near me just added a really nice grocery section. And don't ya know they have a baked goods aisle with smaller portions. Great! Just want I want to avoid. Now I am expecting Aunt Flo in the next few days so of course that means I want to consume all things chocolate. I did good though, I grabbed a small bunch of bananas and some VitaTops! Had the banana on the way home and since I was still hungry and really wanted to try the VitaTops! So I grabbed on and put in front seat withmy water and banana. I call that a success. I avoided the super bad and went with a better choice.

Didn't make it to the gym last night but since I ran yesterday morning I don't mind so much. I use Mapmyrun to track my running. I can post it to Facebook and I can email my times to the blog. As you can see from the last few runs I posted I am not fast, I still have to walk a bit but I am slowly increasing my stamina. I have to remind myself of that sometimes. In March of this year I was still smoking and not excercising. 5 Months later I have quit smoking and have run my first 5k and continue to run and exercise. That is what keeps me going when I see that yes it takes me 15 min to run a mile but Damnit! I ran! [inser Flock of Seagulls song here]

Today is dragging. I reall want it to be Saturday morning so I can sleep. As much as I like how I feel after waking up early to run I am exhausted by Friday. I am changing my schedule at work so that I can go to the Spin Class on Wednesdays. Which means I have to be at work by 7:30. I think the spin class is worth it and since it's included in my gym membership. Monday the person who does Zumba is back but that is 6:30 so I can work a normal schedule and still make that class. Trying to vary my cardio routine. If the class is too full/I am running late I can still do cardio on the elliptical or the AMT. There is a seperate fee for Zumba but the 10 class punch card is only $30, money well spent in my opinion.

That's it for now as I should be doing other stuff.

Tired

I really should have gone to gym after work. But I am so tired. My eyes hurt. (my eyes have been rebelling at my contacts for the last few days so it's been glasses, but its harder to wear the glasses for a few days)

The trainer didn't show last night. Or rather I saw her leave at 6:50 and since we were scheduled for 7 I figured she was running to her car or the grocery store next door. Nope, she left. I emailed her last night and apparently she lost her calendar. I guess if your business is based on your availability then losing your calendar is no big deal. I know the gym orientation was part of the package when I joined so I am not paying her but since I was thinking about getting a personal trainer in the future, it won't be her. Yes I sound bitchy but as much as I liked the gym, there are a few pieces of equipment I wanted her to show me. Oh well. I will try to reschedule. I am sure I sound bitchier than I mean to but I am exhausted. I am doubt I will be up much longer.

I am going into work for 7:30 tomorrow morning so I can leave at 4 so I can try to hit the spin class at 5:30. If I really like it then I may be able to modify my schedule so that once a week I go in/leave early for a fitness class. (seriously who have I become)

We ran a different route this morning. I actually did better on the first mile. The second mile was rough because there was a slight incline. But overall I feel it was better. Ran almost a mile straight. Did .38 without stopping then a brief walk and then run until 1.03 miles. I forgot to watch when I started running again. But this was so much better than when I first started in April. It's amazing how much that motivates me. Yes I could have run more of the hill but I was still out there at 530 am trying to do something for myself.

Dinner and other stuff

this morning on my run I was thinking about how satisfying I find it to run and then take the same road on my way to work. there is a definite sense of accomplishment. Each day I run further. That is my goal, run further every day. I know the speed will come as I improve my stamina. I started a few months ago struggling to run for 30 seconds. (unknown distance) but now I can run 5 min and a least half a mile. I started in April, give or take and now it's the end of July and I have kept up the running even in the heat. Granted I know have to wake up at 5 am to get it done before the heat gets too bad. That makes me feels so good. It's amazing that I hate to wake up but I have been waking up to run. I still can't get over that. Because that is definitely not me. Who is this strange person and what have you done with the real Ree!


Cucumbers and sprouts are the best toppings for sandwiches. I am out of sprouts and forgot to get some at the grocery store when I was there after work. so dinner tonight is a steak sandwich with cucumber and the yogurt I didn't eat at lunch. I have some cherries for dessert in a bit if I want them. Also some Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins Cheddar Cheese. Never had these before, the Hint of Salt ones are good. So I am hoping these are as well.





That's it for now. Seriously thinking about running again tomorrow morning.

Fiber and my morning run

Back to logging food. I find it's the best way to keep me honest. I am not really counting calories but just watching the quality of food I eat. I follow South Beach but I have found that when I fall off the wagon it's for carbs so I am trying to add more to my diet. The healthy kind of course ;) Yay for Whole Grains!


I picked up some Kashi Go Lean the other day. I had it for the first time this morning. It's really very good. I was afraid that the "fiber twigs" wouldn't taste good but it was delicious with a bit of almond milk.

I am totally hooked on the almond milk for my coffee. Not as creamy as half and half but a much better flavor. I picked up rice milk as well and I will try that next. Trying to find healthier alternatives to milk and dairy. Some places I don't mind avoiding dairy but I gotta have animal milk cheese. It's pretty high in fat (and protein). Life is all about finding balance.

Actually woke up at 5 ish went for a run with my neighbor. I almost bailed but I could have sworn I heard noises on her side of the house (it's a duplex) so I didn't want to bail if she was already awake. 1.83 miles in 29.45 minutes. I did the first mile in about 15 min however on the way back there is an "oh shit" hill, that kills me. Since I didn't run at all while I was on vacation last week. It was painful. My legs were feeling it but I run a little further everytime. I am slow but I am doing it and that is what counts. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself.